 The League of State Government will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the state is rid of all forms of domestic and sexual based violence. To this end, the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, DSVA, in partnership with the State Police Command staged an advocacy walk in a corridor recently to sensitize residents. Correspondent Love Ikuku Oyedoku tells us more in this report. It is an advocacy walk on sexual and gender-based violence in Ikurudu. It is part of activities to mark gender and sexual violence months. The month of September is designed to further push the advocacy against the vices to all local governments across League of States. The exercise is aimed at enlightening the residents on why they should not engage in any form of sexual and gender-based violence. Titi Lola Viva Adene Yi is the Executive Secretary of DSVA. She warned that anyone caught engaging in any form of domestic and sexual-based violence will face the wrath of the law. In four or five years, Ikurudu has been one of the top five local governments with highest privilege of domestic violence, sexual violence and child abuse. Ikurudu, light has come. We want you to know that there is help for you. We want you to know that you should not suffer in silence. In Ikurudu, we have at least three divisions. We have at least two designated police stations where you can report cases too. You can report to Global FSU, you can report to U2FSU and ultimately you can report to the gender desk located in the League of States Police Command. The most important thing is to break the culture of silence, speak up and speak out. League of States Commissioner of Police Iduwu Uohuma, who was represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police Salihu Usman, noted that statistics shows sexual and gender-based violence incidences are on the downward trend in Lagos. I've seen that the people of Lagos state in general are now understanding the essence of establishing a very sound family. Family is the backbone of a society. Without a sound family, you cannot have a civilized society. So that is why Lagos state governments see it as a priority to see that they eradicate the issues of gender-based violence. Participants at the work included senior and junior police officers, lawyers, child protection organizations, members of the community development associations, staff of the domestic and sexual violence agency. Love Iduku Plus TV News To address the issue of early marriage and violence against women in northern Nigeria, a group, Global Peace Development International, has urged communities, traditional and religious leaders to rise against this courage. They made the call at a sensitization campaign in some local communities in Kaduna state. To change duty bearers, traditional rulers, religious rulers, community inhabitants, perception and mindset against harmful cultural norms that lead to sexual and gender-based violence in communities. And to also prevent and address cultural norms to local government that will choose Chukuna and Jema local government. And then the four communities under this local government, the sexual and gender-based issue is at the increasing rate. Trying to see how we can create awareness to educate the public, to also know their rights, and to also how in terms of reporting cases of sexual and gender-based in the community. Early marriage, they consider it as an old custom and that they don't want to leave it. Some cultures are affecting women by saying, let the women go to farm. Okay, you actually want to go to farm. She came back, she take care of you, the husband, she take care of the children, at the same time do the needful for the household. Then how do you expect it to go? Somebody cannot just carry. So at least let us show sympathy to a woman. Let's look at those cultures that are not a prover because we are civilized now. But that civilization at least make us to understand that those cultures that are not harmful, let us take them away and do the needful and do the right thing. On their part, the religious and traditional rulers vowed that any member of the communities found violating girls in their society will face the law. Cultures and norms have drawn many communities backward. There are many things that speak against or destroy our life, our wives, our children, the community entirely. There are simple things that we can do to help us move forward. But because of those cultures that we stick to, we don't accept change in our community. We don't want to go with the type of system that is moving today. We're supposed to follow what our Christianity have been taught of because Christianity and Muslims, they never say we should do all this kind of marriage. I shout to my community to let them stop doing all this kind of quick marriage. It is not good. Let their children know when they are immature. It will be a punishment really. Anybody who found in my community by that, I will carry him to my district. After my district, my district will carry the person to the folder, even to the human right. They were able to identify the problems and also give us solutions on how to deal with gender-based violence and also the hardship melted on women sitting at home and the women are meant to go out and provide for the family. Problems they brought up are what we are facing in our community and they brought up also solutions. News Updates